Free printable letter W worksheets for preschool and kindergarten: trace uppercase W and lowercase w, find the letter, follow the letter maze and color W words.
Preschool and kindergartenCommon Core RF.K.1.D, RF.K.3.A2 free PDFs with answer keys
Change the numbers, layout and number of problems, then download a new PDF with its answer key.
W is a wide letter made of four slanted strokes. These free letter W worksheets give children practice tracing W and w, finding the letter among M and V, following a W maze and coloring pictures for “W is for whale”.
Free letter W worksheets to print (PDF)
Each of these letter W worksheets is a one-page PDF; the find and maze pages add an answer key. Press Customize to change the colors or paper size in the maker on this page.
Trace W and wArrows first, then on their own.PDFCustomizeFind the letter WCircle and count, with key.PDFCustomizeLetter W mazeColor the W path, with key.PDFCustomizeW is for whaleColor, trace and draw.PDFCustomize
The letter W sound
W says /w/, as in whale, web, watch and wagon. The lips make a small round shape and the voice is on. W joins h at the start of question words like what, when and where, and comes after a vowel in words like cow, snow and saw, where it changes the vowel sound. In wr words such as write and wrist, the w is silent.
W is for whale: letter W words for kids
Words that start with W: whale, web, watch, wagon, worm, window, watermelon, wolf, wing, wizard.
W inside or at the end: cow, snow, saw, owl, flower, sandwich.
The color page uses whale, web, watch and wagon, so children trace each word and color the matching letter.
Letter W at a glance
Place in the alphabet
23rd of 26, after V and before X
Type
Consonant
Uppercase shape
Straight lines only
Often confused with
M, V and w
Scrabble tile value
4 points
Grouping letters by shape helps handwriting: letters made of straight lines, like W, are usually easier to start with than curved ones.
How to write W and w
Uppercase W: Slant down, up, down and up again, like two V shapes joined.
Lowercase w: The same shape, small, from the middle line.
W is like two Vs joined: slant down, up, down, up. Uppercase and lowercase W have the same shape, just different sizes. Children often turn W upside down into M, so remind them that W points down at the bottom, like two valleys.
Letter W tracing and the rest of the pack
Trace: letter W tracing with arrows to follow, then uppercase W and lowercase w on their own.
Find the letter: circle every W and w hidden among similar-looking letters, then count them.
Letter maze: color the W squares to make a path from start to finish.
Color: color the big Ww, trace the W words and draw something that starts with W.
Letter W activities for preschool
Short, hands-on games make the letter W worksheets stick. Try one a day alongside the printed pages:
Watermelon W: cut watermelon slices into W shapes for a snack.
Wiggly worms: roll play dough worms and bend them into W shapes.
Weather watch: look out the window and talk about wind, wet weather and warm days.
Wand writing: make a paper wand and write W in the air.
A letter W week plan
Monday: say the /w/ sound together, trace W and w on the first page, then try the Watermelon W idea above.
Tuesday: work through the find-the-letter page, count how many you circled, and move on to Wiggly worms.
Wednesday: solve the letter W maze, then play Weather watch.
Thursday: color “W is for whale”, read whale, web, watch and wagon aloud and finish with Wand writing.
Friday: write W and w from memory, look for W in a favorite picture book and reprint any page that felt tricky.
Letter W worksheets kindergarten teachers can use
Kindergarten readers meet w in web, wet, wig, win and wag, and the sight words we, was, will, with and what. The letter W worksheets teachers use support writing all four slants in one smooth motion, which also helps with letters like V and M.
Names: if someone in the family has a name that starts with W, the name tracing worksheets turn it into a tracing page.
Whole alphabet: the alphabet worksheets hub has all 26 letter packs plus ABC order and matching pages.
Letter W worksheets: frequently asked questions
What age are letter W worksheets for?
Preschool and kindergarten, usually ages 3 to 6. Kindergarten expects children to recognize and name all upper- and lowercase letters (Common Core RF.K.1.D).
How many days should we spend on the letter W?
A letter-of-the-week plan uses one page a day: trace on Monday, find on Tuesday, the maze on Wednesday and coloring on Thursday, with Friday for review or a craft.
Why is W called double-u?
Long ago it was written as two u or v letters side by side, and the name stuck even though it looks like two vs today.
Is the w in write silent?
Yes. In wr words like write, wrap and wrist, only the r is heard.
Can I print a different letter or several at once?
Yes. The maker on this page can build packs for any letters, like S, A, T, P, I, N, or the whole alphabet.
